Overcoming Stage Fright

Whether you want it to happen or not, there’s no denying the increased heart rate and sweaty palms that signify every performer’s greatest demon – stage fright. It’s a frustrating feat that keeps many away from ever auditioning for anything, but not you. No. You’re different. You’re going to conquer this and you’re going to succeed. Here’s how to turn that monster into an ignorable nuisance.

Breathe Deep and Breath Regular

As soon as you let your breathing get out of control, everything falls apart. By allowing the heartrate to keep increasing through faster breathing, your mind is being told by your physical reactions that something is very wrong. It will then trigger even more crazy reactions in response to a fictional danger. While you can’t control your exact heartrate, breathing deep allows you to breathe slower. Breathing slower forces your heart to slow down, a reaction that then signals the brain there isn’t an immediate danger.

Protect Your Posture

In the fear of the moment, it’s not uncommon to want to slouch the shoulders or look less intimidating. This is because your brain is being told there is danger around. By coiling up, you reduce the chance of being noticed by this danger. Don’t cave in. There is no danger, and the longer you hold the strong posture, the more you convince your brain to let up on the anxiety.

Start with a Bang

The nerves never go away entirely. Every audition will yield stressful feelings. Because this is physically a buildup of energy, get yourself into a better place for the audition by opening with a piece that explodes into action at the start. Following this, you’ll find the calmer moments much easier to achieve now that your body has experienced the release it needed.